Uncle of mine
by Lavenderpaw
Summary: Chumvi would do almost anything for his favorite niece. Two-part.
1. Chapter 1

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I.

Late morning brimmed the horizon as four well-groomed cubs raced over a small hill and proceeded to engage in a game of wrestling. A large adult Nala came trailing unhurriedly after them. She stretched her off-white neck back and motioned for someone who lagged behind her to keep up, finding amusement that they didn't act more enthusiastic. The red-gold cub trotted up with an unsure look on her face, peering up questioningly at her mom.

"It's been forever since he last saw me," Kiara mentioned, "what if I don't remember."

"Kiara, dear, it's been two weeks."

"To me that feels like forever," the cub hung her head as her mother cradled her close.

"I don't want you clinging, Kiara." Nala told her with a slight sternness in her tone, "your uncle is the leader of a pride and he's too old to be playing around with you." She nuzzled her daughter with her purple nose. "I _know _you love him. But give him a break this time."

"I can't hang out with him at all?" Kiara nearly whined.

Nala smiled and chuckled, straightening up. "I suppose." her turquoise eyes turned more lenient as she reasoned gently. "Just give him his space when he asks for it, don't cling."

"Right." a bright smile formed across her daughter's mouth. "Don't cling."

The sight of a golden-yellow lion appearing over the smaller hill before them gave Kiara an idea. 'What if I didn't stay here?' she thought to herself and grinned at what they would all say when she asserted herself. Kiara _was _the future queen, she needed to take her stand.

"Uncle Chumvi!" the lioness cub cried happily, genuinely excited to see him.

With her plan working itself around in her head, Kiara raced to see the dark-colored lion.

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ooo

Chumvi looked up from his distance behind Tojo and broke into a wide smile at the sight of his little niece racing towards him. The lion charged towards her like he was about to attack - making Nala raise her hackles and the shoulders between them - before scooping her up and rolling along on his shoulder to keep from squishing his niece. The others watched on.

"Uncle!" Kiara giggled and snuggled closely into his chocolate brown chest fur.

"Hey baby," He said lovingly before engaging in a small game of chase and pounce.

The cub finally got down into a crouch as he lowered himself down to her level.

"So," Chumvi smirked coolly, "How's my favorite juvenile delinquent?"

"Good." She smirked back impudently.

"Getting into trouble with your mom and dad?" He leaned in closer to her.

"Yep!"

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OoO

Simba came over the small crest of the hill his wife stood on while talking animatedly to Tojo. His mahogany eyes roved around the bottom until he saw his half-brother and cub below, naturally fooling around with each other. But when Chumvi's eyes caught sight of him, the lion's similarly colored ones took on a look of instant understanding - it was not every day that a pride leader accepted the presence of another male and especially the presence of two. Simba, Chumvi and Tojo considered their prides exceptions to this rule.

The young kings beamed at each other and ran to embrace one another in a lasting, one - armed hug. Simba then turned his attention to his cousin and friend Tojo before going in to give him a quick hug as well. The last two to arrive were Tama and Kula and neither three lionesses - Nala of course included - wasted time in head-butting and greeting each other.

Kula had remained in Simba and Nala's pride while Tama had went to catch up with Tojo and Chumvi who had their own pride together. Malka had been the last male lion originally from Tama, Tojo and Zira's pride to join the late king Mufasa's pride before being banished on his second birthday. Neither six friends had heard from him or knew if we was still alive.

But then, no one knew Simba had survived either. Circumstances aside.

"Hey," Kiara suddenly interrupted them. "Does anyone want to talk about the Outlands?"

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ooo

"Why don't you go play with the other cubs?" Chumvi suggested to his niece.

Kiara shook her head in disagreement to that idea.

Before he could inquire why the sight of Timon and Pumbaa made him grin wickedly.

"Hey!" Chumvi gave chase after the frightened, fleeing pair, pounced on them and then went into a similar yet rougher roll then before he came to a hard stop when his shoulder bumped up against a downed tree, "So," he brought them closer in a headlock up to him.

"So?" Timon winced.

"Did you two son of a guns think you were leavin' without greetin' your ol' Uncle Chum?"

Pumbaa grimaced. "Uh…?"

"How've you boys been doing?" He laughed loudly before knuckling their heads.

As the adults started gathering together, Kiara soon found herself left out of the fold.

To be continued…

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A/N:

So, this is dedicated to the kind of special relationship that uncles and their nieces (a kind of off-shoot of fathers and daughters) share. Ever watch that one episode of Full House where Jesse leaves and goes to this cabin in the mountains and his nieces pretend that Mary-Kate-and-Ashley-Michelle-etc. is sick? Well, there's one scene after a series of too-long montages where Michelle is standing up in her crib facing the door. Uncle Jesse comes in and it's like she was waiting for him. Aw. This two-shot is inspired by that. ^^ 


	2. Chapter 2

**I.**

Chumvi moved around the small hills that his niece had trapped herself in. The brown - furred lion considered her a moment and then moved to where she leaned her head down. "Kiara," he prompted. She didn't respond. "Kiddo, why won't you go see your friends?"

"Humph."

He grinned a little but humored her as he made his way between the small rises of land.

"You don't understand," the young princess told him, "How hard it is for me."

"I'd think a kid with a personality like yours would win you a whole bunch of followers."

Kiara gave him a harried look.

"Or… not win them to you."

She looked down at her paws.

"I don't think I'm strong enough to be one of them."

"Hey," Chumvi went down to her level, giving his niece direct eye contact. "I don't want to hear that kind of talk." he softened as he looked into her red-brown eyes. "I _know_ that it's hard sometimes. You're going to get disappointed no matter how hard you try, Kiara."

Tears started to well against her cheeks.

"But if you give up," the lion pushed against her nose, causing the lioness cub to smile in spite of herself, "If you don't keep pushing forward and make the best of life, you'll never be able to live it down for yourself. I know it's hard, baby." Chumvi nosed her face softly.

Kiara gasped a quiet cry.

"Life is hard. But if you don't give up on yourself, at least you know that you made it."

She sniffed. "Does it get better?"

"Well…" He straightened. "In some ways, yes. But in other ways you have to work at it to make it happen for yourself." Chumvi leaned down again. "Don't you give up, alright?"

The cub sniffed a final time. "Alright."

**ooo**

"'Cause you know what happens if you _do, _don't you?"

Kiara grinned nervously. "Uh, no."

His voice turned mock menacing. "_You get a visit from the MONSTER UNCLE!" _Her Uncle Chumvi scooped her up and tossed his niece up into the air, causing her to squeal out in a string of giggles. They played and wrestled for a while before the big male lion collapsed against the grass on his back, taking Kiara upon his stomach with a large paw.

She grew saddened a moment.

"Kiara?"

"I miss you when you leave, Uncle Chumvi."

The lion blinked before smiling grimly. "I miss you too, kid."

The End.

~ Lavenderpaw ~


End file.
